News & Updates

Community Partner: The Kim Center for Social Balance

The Kim Center for Social Balance is dedicated to accelerating the achievement of equal status for all genders, races, and ethnicities in the workplace. Their LEAPS initiative is one of the most aggressive efforts to create rapid and demonstrable change throughout the country. LEAPS tools include an academically researched Assessment, data-driven Playbook, and a nationally standardized Accreditation.

Employers use LEAP to become industry leaders by creating and maintaining thriving ecosystems that include improved employee retention, productivity, and innovative mindset, all of which also benefit the bottom line. Visit kimcenter.org for more information.

The team at Kim Center is working with local leaders to scale LEAPS to the regional level to transform San Diego into the nation’s first community model of measurable progress. Their achievements have been recognized at the California State, San Diego County, and city levels. Key partners include County and City of San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric, foundations, unions, employers, and more.

The Kim Center is currently inviting new collaborators for a project to maximize the economic recovery of vulnerable business owners from the pandemic by: 1) assessing the financial impacts of COVID-19 on their businesses, 2) modeling the short and long-term consequences of their losses to San Diego’s entire regional economic recovery, and 3) developing key recommendations for a united community response. If you would like to participate, please contact Dr. Hei-ock Kim, Executive Director, at heiock@kimcenter.org.

Ribbon Cutting – Planet Fitness Opens New Escondido Location

Congratulations to Chamber member Planet Fitness on opening their newest location in Escondido!

Member Spotlight: Cymbiotika

Cymbiotika is an innovative wellness brand based in San Diego. With the motto, “Your mind and body deserve the best”, Cymbiotika is driven by the higher purpose of inspiring everyday people to achieve their optimal health. Founded in 2017, Cymbiotika uses the most advanced bioavailable absorption technology and sources only the highest quality plant-based nutrients to resolve specific nutritional deficiencies and support healthy aging, detoxification and longevity. Cymbiotika never uses synthetics, GMOs, fillers, chemicals, preservatives, additives or sugars in its products.

With the belief that there is nothing more important than health, Cymbiotika has made it their mission to help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives. That starts with the very best quality ingredients – and for them, that’s non-negotiable.

This also manifests itself through their company culture that prioritizes giving back and improving the health and wellness within the local community. Working to combat poor nutrition as a result of food insecurity is one of the ways they live their values in our region.

The company loves finding ways to help and most recently was asked to participate in a local school’s food drive. Their entire team took part in the effort — from collecting nutritious, non-perishable goods to delivering them to the school, donating nearly 2,000 items. A recap video of the food drive can be found here.

As the new quarter kicks off, keep your eyes peeled for the Cymbiotika van and their tremendous team members donating their time and energy to share the gift of good nutrition and health throughout our communities.

Learn more at www.cymbiotika.com.

For more information, contact:

Kaylene Karim, Director of Social Media & Marketing

Phone: (855) 983-8888

 

President Biden Calls On Employers to Give Paid Time Off For Vaccinations

During an announcement by President Biden on Wednesday that he had met his goal of 200 million coronavirus vaccinations in his first 100 days in office, the President also called on all employers to provide paid time off for employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. To help offset the cost, the President announced a new paid leave tax credit that will offset the cost for employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide full pay for any time employees need to get a COVID-19 vaccination or recover from that vaccination. Watch the President’s announcement here. A fact sheet with details is available here.

Understanding the important role that businesses play in the vaccination effort and our recovery and reopening efforts, the Chamber launched the Time To Vaccinate program last month. Time To Vaccinate is an education and awareness program offering resources and information employers can use to encourage their workforce to get vaccinated when they are able. All businesses are encouraged to join and pledge to do their part in supporting our region’s workers getting vaccinated. Learn more and join at www.sdchamber.org/timetovaccinate.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to Update Vaccine Guidance

Following calls for more clear guidance from employers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has said it will be providing an update in the near future. Currently, most employers trying to navigate the employee vaccine situation and how it impacts return to work have done so with frustratingly little details. As a result, they’re asking the EEOC to step in to ensure that employers aren’t left with increased liability, and customers and workers can return feeling as safe and secure as possible. Specifically, the EEOC was asked to work on what incentives for vaccines would be allowable, with employers hoping for a broad definition to allow them to utilize what works best for their employees and their resources. The second request was to help employers identify what differentiates a vaccine incentive from the more commonly used wellness programs.

Baja’s Candidates for 2021 Elections

Elections for governor, as well as for local offices across Baja, will take place in June. MORENA (President Lopez Obrador’s political party) announced its candidates for municipal elections in Baja: Montserrat Caballero for the City of Tijuana; Norma Bustamante for the City of Mexicali; Dario Benitez for the City of Tecate; and Armando Ayala and Araceli Brown, who will seek reelection for Ensenada and Rosarito, respectively. For the governor’s race, Mexicali Mayor Marina del Pilar will represent MORENA.

Meanwhile, the opposition’s new coalition composed of the PRI, PAN, and PRD political parties announced former Miss Universe Lupita Jones will represent the party for the governor’s race and former Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos will run for the opportunity to serve a second term. Other candidates running for governor include former Tijuana Mayor and businessman Jorge Hank Rhon with PES; Tijuana real estate businessman Jorge Ojeda with Fuerza Mexico; attorney and activist Carlos Atilano with PBC; and former Baja state representative Victoria Bentley with PRSP. All gubernatorial candidates participated in the first debate that took place this past weekend, and our partners at UCSD’s Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies and Tijuana Innovadora also held a public forum on April 15 that includes most of the candidates.

Don’t Celebrate the Unemployment Numbers Yet

 

A troubling trend is emerging with regard to unemployment numbers in California. While employment rates numbers over the past few months appear to be improving, it is only partially due to more Californians returning to work. In actuality, it has to do with a concerning portion of the workforce simply leaving entirely, meaning that they are no longer seeking work at all. As we’ve continued to advocate to the state, we believe that the increasing demands on working parents due to unstable childcare landscapes have required that many parents simply opt out from work. The state has pegged the number of people who have stopped looking for work at almost 40,000. This issue will remain front of mind as we near the June 15 reopening.

Mexico’s COVID-19 Update

As part of international efforts to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the U.S. loaned 4 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico and Canada – an action that will not have an impact on vaccine supply within the United States. Mexico is also undergoing the first phase of the clinical trials for their own COVID-19 vaccine called “Patria”.  If successful, the vaccine could help Mexico and developing nations that have otherwise struggled to secure doses from foreign companies.

Vaccine superstations are now operating across the state of Baja including the Toros baseball stadium and UABC University in Tijuana, with the city breaking the national record  by vaccinating over 45,600 people in only two days.  Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard issued a message urging border communities to continue to refrain from non-essential travel. An update on Baja’s confirmed COVID-19 cases and efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus is available here.

Our partners at the Wilson Center shared an updated infographic outlining the successes and challenges that the U.S., Mexico, and Canada face as COVID-19 vaccination continues.

Measure C Returns

The Convention Center modernization effort that would also pump funds into homelessness services and road improvements has had a triumphant turnaround in recent weeks. Most recently, the City Council voted 8-1 to declare it a victory and asked the City Attorney to take the appropriate steps to put legally confirm the measure’s victory. This is all made possible by recent court cases throughout the state clarifying that such measures require only a simple majority instead of the 2/3 vote threshold. When the voters considered Measure C in 2018, they were just shy of 2/3 with over 65% of voters coming in favor.

Travel Restrictions at Land Ports of Entry

Following the extension of U.S. travel restrictions impacting land ports of entry until at least May 21, the Department of Homeland Security is undergoing an evaluation of metrics that would allow for a resumption of travel. According to a report by CNBC, the White House is looking toward the middle of May to relax restrictions across the Mexican and Canadian borders and on inbound travel from the UK, Europe, and Brazil.

The Chamber joined the Border Trade Alliance and U.S. business leaders in urging the federal government to lift travel restrictions on non-essential travel at our land port of entry. These restrictions continue to harm our economy and border communities along the U.S.-Mexico border, especially impacting small businesses and our cross-border workforce.

In Mexico, the federal government also implemented travel restrictions on nonessential travel across its southern borders. This action came as Mexico is under pressure to reduce the U.S.-bound migration from Central America. Baja Governor Bonilla issued a statement to confirm no action has been or is planned to be taken at our regional ports of entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has introduced Simplified Arrival at all of the pedestrian border crossings in the Rio Grande Valley ports of entry. The enhanced arrival process uses biometric facial comparison technology to automate the manual document checks that are already required for admission into the United States. CBP officers will now be able to match the traveler’s passport photo from online government files helping to speed up international arrival processing.

As we continue to move toward economic recovery, we ask for your input on the

financial implications of streamlined cross-border trade processing at land ports of entry for the business sector. Please take a few minutes to respond to an online survey with The George Washington University here.